Namikaze Aizen: The Return
by blunkraft96
Summary: He had lost everything in the face of greed and jealousy, his soul warped and twisted until he became the very thing he swore to destroy; Sousuke Aizen. 3 Years have passed in the land of Naruto, his soul has been cleansed and he still wields the power that made him fearsome. In the face of the conspiracies that involved him what will he do? A house divided cannot stand after all


!AU

He couldn't believe this was happening to him again; how? Well for starter's the massive hole in his chest, was a big indication that it was happening again. For the second time that he could remember his life was going to be ended by someone he had come to consider as a brother. As he fell down, he could faintly hear his friend crying? He was crying? He could vaguely hear the words he said, something about being too far gone? But the last he words he heard were the ones that hurt the most.

"You were my brother….and I…..I felt it to be my duty the man you had once been, to not let you fall any further…...Sayonara…. Aizen

Aizen Sousuke was no more, his form seemed to just disappear into dust and exploded in a shower of bright light.

_"I, Tsunade, Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, with the agreement of the Clan Heads, the Village Council, and the Elders, declare you a traitor. You have brought shame and dishonour upon the entire village. You were ordered to capture Sasuke Uchiha and return him to Konoha. Permission was given to use force if necessary. But instead, you attempted to murder him…"_

_If Naruto wasn't chained and manacled and he didn't have the damn gag in his mouth, he would have ranted and screamed and hurled abuse at Tsunade. But he wasn't able to. Naruto's face was mauled and scarred, courtesy of Sakura and Kakashi, and breathing hurt him sorely, thanks to the two point blank chidori he had received during his battle with Sasuke. He stared at them from under his eyebrows, his neck bent under the heavy steel collar; his eyes filled with betrayal, hate…and despair._

_"…He surrendered peacefully, but you attacked anyway. Eye-witnesses reported it. Sasuke Uchiha was nearly killed by your brutal assault. Your betrayal nearly destroyed the last of the Uchiha Clan, and nearly cost Konoha her finest ninja. It is decided that you will be taken from this place and suffer execution three days hence, as should have been done when you were a child. The Kyūbi no Yōko is a threat to this village, one that should have been destroyed long ago, and it is clear that you no longer have the will or strength to suppress it."_

_Tsunade stood and to the cheers and roars of approval, she waved a hand to the two ANBU members, declaring, "Take the jinchuriki away."_

_The holding cell was large and bare. There were a dozen thick steel bars across the entrance, but there was a small door through them which allowed the guards in. Naruto's wrists were manacled, with long chains attached to the walls, stretching his arms to breaking point. His neck was held in a large collar, attached to a chain to the ceiling, and every time he breathed or moved his neck the sharp edges cut deep into his skin, causing blood to run down his naked chest. His legs were manacled to the floor, spread out from each other, so that he resembled a five-pointed star._

_On the first day, Ibiki Morino and his Torture and Interrogation squad had entered the cell and had set to work on him. By the time they left, many hours later, his ribs were fractured, one of his eyes was blinded, his skin was burnt, his legs were broken and twisted, and he had more bruises than he could count._

_Later the same day Kakashi entered. He walked right up to Naruto, watching him coolly. "Well, Naruto," he said. "Anything to say for yourself?"_

_Naruto's one good eye stared back impassively. Kakashi sighed and leant against the nearby wall. "Why did you attack him Naruto? The objective was clear; you were to bring him back, not kill him. And yet you attacked him. The finest chunin in the village," he looked back up at him sharply. "Was it jealousy?" he asked quietly._

_Naruto remained obstinately silent, glaring at the ground. He wouldn't give his former sensei the satisfaction of his anger. Kakashi sighed and walked away._

_"You are a great disappointment to me, Naruto. The worst ninja I ever trained."_

_Naruto watched him retreat, silent as the grave._

_"I hope you find penitence in your last hours."_

_His 'friends' came that day._

_Rock Lee, Shino, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino and Kiba were silent, standing in the background as the others sneered and gloated._

_Sakura insulted him and spat on him, declaring the hate she had felt since they had first formed the team. The others students followed suit, blaming him for the misfortunes of their clans and those who died thirteen years before. Finally they all left, Naruto as silent as ever._

_Naruto's eye looked up, staring straight into the Sharingan, the only light in the dark cell. He could barely discern Sasuke, only as a dark shape in the pitch blackness. He was mildly surprised to realise they had let him into the cell. Sasuke sneered as Naruto struggled to raise his head, his eye filled with venomous hate. He forced himself to stand upright, but the chains restricted his movements, and he could feel his damaged body click and snap in some places. He glared at Sasuke._

_"Now, now, Naruto. That's no way to look at the new Uchiha Clan Head," smirked Sasuke, showing him the ring he wore on his finger. It showed the Uchia crest on a band of silver and gold._

_Sasuke punched him clean in the stomach, his eyes livid. Naruto snarled at the pain. Sasuke had gotten stronger. His sealed chakra meant that he hurt all the more._

_"So Sasuke, how come…?" he asked. Naruto tugged on his chains, making them rattle. Sasuke, understanding, smiled darkly._

_"Kukuku. Allow me to explain. Think about it. I am the last loyal Uchia. My Sharingan promises Konoha's continued authority over the rest of the world. The village has more need of the Sharingan then the Kyūbi no Yōko. My children and theirs will have the Sharingan, and from that Konoha can conquer all the Lands. The council came to me offering a most intriguing proposal; remain loyal to Konoha, and they will give me all the power I want. They've already begun." He held up the ANBU mask at his side and placed it over his face, but Naruto couldn't discern the image painted on._

_"But they have still more to offer. I might become Hokage, how about I take that dream of yours as well?"_

_Naruto snorted and leant forward again, ignoring Sasuke._

_"Did you come here for a reason, or just to spout shit, ahondara?" hissed Naruto. He was going to die. He wasn't going to be polite now._

_Sasuke smirked again, his Sharingan livid. "Yes; the village has decided to make me your executioner. They thought it only fitting as the Head of the Uchiha Clan and the one you nearly murdered. From you, I will gain the Mangekyo Sharingan, and become even stronger, all thanks to you."_

_He turned and left, leaving the cell dark again._

_Naruto couldn't help it. He giggled. He giggled like a child, his voice rising. Chortling, laughing, and guffawing. He heard the guards and Sasuke stop still as they listened to the laughter of a madman. The cerulean eye gleamed like fire._

_The next few hours were silent and still. As the sun set and the moon arose, a storm struck the village. Freezing rain struck the outside of the prison and seeped through the wall, the cold chilling his blood._

_The second day began warm and dry, but the inside of Naruto's cell was still cold. He heard the tramp of feet approaching the cell._

_"Here he is. Be quick," hissed one voice, a guard, nervously._

_"Yes," said a second voice, quietly._

_He continued looking down, his eye focused on the ground._

_"N-N-Naruto-kun?" stuttered the second voice. The voice was sad and heavy, panting with fear and worry._

_Naruto looked up, fixing his baleful cerulean glare on the bars. The voice whimpered in surprise and sadness upon seeing his ruined body._

_"Who is there?" he asked hoarsely._

_The bars creaked and the small door opened and Hinata stepped inside. Fat tears coursed down her soft face, her eyes wet and shining. She slowly, cautiously walked towards the prisoner. When she was a mere foot away, she stopped and knelt so that Naruto looked down at her._

_"Hinata? What are you doing here? Come to spit at the cornered rat as well?" His lips twisted in an insane grin, his eye mad and wild._

_Hinata looked pained at his words and shook her head worriedly, crying harder. "Forgive me Naruto-kun."_

_Naruto blinked in surprise. No-one had said they were sorry, except Rock Lee and the rest of Team 8, and even then indirectly, by their sad faces and the intense airs of self-loathing. He softened somewhat, but his eye still held the insane gleam._

_"Don't worry Hinata-chan; it's enough to know that _someone _doesn't hate me." He smiled at her._

_Hinata smiled through her tears, her lips quivering._

_" N-no, Naruto-kun. I c-came here to…to t-tell you something… and if I don't do it now, I-I-I'll never get the chance…" She started to hyperventilate._

_Naruto watched her closely, confused and unsure of what was going on. Hinata regained her breath and then said, "N-Naruto-kun…for a long time now, I've…I've…" She stopped again, then, scrunching up her face, blurted out, "I love you Naruto-kun!" then dropped her face into her hands and wept._

_Naruto stood there speechless. He couldn't wrap his mind around Hinata, sweet, innocent, shy, beautiful, gentle…_

_He made the links all in an instant. Her shyness around him. Kiba's and Shino's odd comments about her crush and her unwillingness to ever speak about it. Her shyness about him, her odd mannerisms. __**'Perhaps if I noticed earlier, I might have…'**_

_"I am sorry, Hinata-chan," he whispered._

_She looked back at him in confusion, then abject depression, her shakes and quivers intensifying. He realised it a moment later. She thought he was saying he didn't feel the same way._

_"If I had known you felt that way," he continued, hoping to save the situation, "Perhaps, perhaps I might have…"_

_Hinata silenced him by grabbing his cheeks in her hands and kissing him. He was so surprised he couldn't react for a minute, but finally his mind kicked back in and he responded. It was clumsy and messy, but it was sweet. Finally, she pulled back, holding his face in her hands. Whispering…whispering…whispering…_

_"I love you Naruto-kun…"_

_"I…love you too." And he was surprised to find he meant it. What a fool he had been, wasting his life on the bitch Sakura. "Will you wait for me?" he asked as footsteps approached._

_Naruto grinned up at the two ANBU members. "No worries, guys. Just help me a bit with the cuffs and everything else will be fine, dattebayo!"_

_The two men said nothing, silently removing the chains from the walls to retie to him later at the gallows, though their body language screamed worry. As they dragged him unresisting from the cell and through the prison, the Kyubi sighed. __**'Well, Kit, it looks like the end is here. Afraid?'**_

_**'You?'**_

_**'Of course I am! I doubt there is an afterlife for me. And even if there is, all these damn fools who controlled me have pretty much guaranteed it'll be hell.'**_

_**'Sorry, Kyubi,' **__Naruto thought as they were brought into the blinding sunlight, and heard the roar of the crowd._

_**'Don't be. Of all the humans I could have died with, I doubt many would be as brave as you kit. When you get to paradise or whatever, think of me, eh?'**_

_**'Sure' **__thought Naruto sadly as he realised that, despite the animosity between them, the Kyubi cared for him in a way, and he would never see or hear him again._

_**'Showtime,' **__they thought together, grinning sickly at each other as Naruto was bound between two pillars of stone on the gallows so that he stood as if crucified._

_The wooden platform was built in directly in the middle of the village square, and to either side were the leaders of the village. In front of him was the entire village, everyone gathered to see the 'event'. Some were on the ground, some on top of the buildings. They were all cheering and laughing, hollering for the death of the demon. A few pelted rotten food and refuse at him. However, in the corner of his vision, atop one of the buildings, a small group huddled, alone. He caught a glimpse of Team 8 and Rock Lee, as well as the Konhamaru Corps and Asuma with his team sitting on the roof together, watching the scene below. He saw Hinata being held by Kurenai, watching him and he could just about see her shoulders shaking._

_Tsunade raised her hands for silence. The crowd slowly mumbled itself into quiet._

_"We are gathered here today to bear witness to the execution of Uzumaki Naruto, former Konoha Shinobi and S-Rank traitor, for the crimes of High Treason and attempted murder of a Clan Head."_

_Thunderous applause._

_**'All humans are the same; love the sound of their own voices'**_ _murmured the fox._

_"As a Shinobi he is allowed one honour; death at the hands of one of his fellow Shinobi. Will the appointed step forward?"_

_The cheers intensified as Sasuke stepped forward. The crowd eagerly approved of the Uchiha being the one to 'exorcise the demon'._

_"Any last words?" asked Tsunade as Sasuke bared his arm to the shoulder._

_Naruto remained silent and shrugged his shoulders, glaring Sasuke dead in his blood red eyes._

_"Very well," smirked Sasuke. __**"Chidori!"**_

_The fist passed clean through his chest, rupturing his heart and exploding out his back in a shower of blood. Sasuke ran him through to the shoulder, his ear pressed near Naruto's lips. Naruto looked up into Sasuke's eyes and was surprised to see tears running down his eyes. "Forgive me…..Naruto."_

_"…Memories of a dead man are worthless…Who I was before is meaningless…"_

_Aizen had no doubts about who he was looking at. The Spirit King. The ruler of all creation. Monarch of existence. Its eyes were fire the colour of white fire, its body the colour of interwoven sunlight and darkness. It was dressed in a billowing robe of purple with elaborate golden detailing. It had no hair, instead, across the bald dome were all the symbols of faith; the crucifix, the sickle moon, the eight spoke wheel, the Star of David, the Shinto gate, the symbol of Hinduism, the pentagram of paganism, and thousands of others he did not know. But there was one thing that surprised him._

_The Spirit King was old. Very, very old. He had a long beard that flowed down His chest and was tucked into a belt across His waist. His face was lined and wrinkled, but His eyes were bright and clear._

_"Welcome to the Transcendent Realm, Sousuke Aizen", said the Spirit King. His voice was soft and thunderous, gentle and violent. "Or should I say...Uzumaki Naruto?"_

_Aizen merely fell to one knee and bowed, so surprised that he was here, and at the revelation of the Soul Kings nature, that he was unable to speak. In any case there really wasn't anything he could say._

_"Do you know why I summoned you here?"_

_Aizen shook his head, still gazing at the floor. "No, your Majesty."_

_The Spirit King smiled gently and rose from His throne slowly walking over to him, standing over him, towering like a pillar of light. He rested His hand on his head and gently ruffled his hair, like a grandfather with a young child._

_"'Your Majesty'? That's a new one. Most are too surprised at seeing me. Aizen, have you seen yourself?"_

_Aizen ooked up at Him, and he saw himself reflected in His eyes. If he had emotions, he would have started._

_His left side was normal, his brown hair, his white eyes and purple sclera with his outfit, and his zanpakuto on his hip. But on his other side, was him. _

_An orange and blue jumpsuit, wild blonde hair and a single cerulean eye, with peach skin and three odd whisker marks with a kunai holster strapped to his thigh._

_"Uzumaki Naruto…" he said, surprised._

_The Spirit King nodded sadly. "I am afraid I must apologise to you, Aizen I'm so sorry for all the pain you suffered. I made a terrible mistake."_

_'A mistake? How could the Spirit King make a mistake?' wondered Aizen_

_"Very easily I'm afraid," muttered the King. Aizen blinked in surprise, then realised that the Spirit King was all powerful; He could easily see into his mind._

"_You were not supposed to die that day, you were supposed to go on, and bring peace to the world, before dying. But sadly there was a twist in the annals of time and it happened. Danzo Shimura put Sasuke under his control, with use of a special genjutsu, it's why you saw Sasuke crying. _

_"Do you know the reason why you hated Kurosaki?" the Spirit King asked gently, a small tear of gold sliding down His face. Aizen and Kurosaki duelled like madmen, a face of determination and a face of arrogance "Because he reminded you of what you once were."_

_Aizen watched as he and Kurosaki fought on, battling above the dome. It was true of course. The human was infuriating; how could someone fight for others and be so strong? It was incomprehensible. As they fought the phrase 'It's not fair!' had been foremost in Aizen's mind. In the end, everyone betrays their friends. Helping them had done Naruto no good, and it would do none for Kurosaki._

_"Do you know why you lost?"_

_"I was weak and pathetic" spat Aizen as he and the Hollow Kurosaki battled across the sky. The Spirit King shook His head._

_"No; you wanted to lose."_

_Aizen looked incredulously at the Spirit King. "He reminds you of who you once were. You reminded yourself of all you once hated. You realised that Kurosaki had to win. Your Kurohitsugi was barely at full strength. You wanted him to win. You didn't want him to suffer like you did."_

_Aizen watched as his reflection acted extremely bizarrely. It didn't even attempt to hit Kurosaki. I was holding back, he realised. Something wet crawled down his right cheek. He raised his 'Naruto' hand to his cheek and pulled away a tear. The Spirit King smiled sadly._

_"You were not meant to die that day Aizen. It was a mistake on my part. I called you here to give you an offer."_

_Aizen looked back at the King as he sat on His throne, watching him intently. "You were not meant to die Aizen As Naruto, you should have lived a long and healthy life. Alas, the Kyuubi no Yoko was bound to you and as a result you suffered great pain and torments. You deserve happiness Aizen. I offer you another chance. I will return you to your home Dimension, and I will give you another chance. Will you accept it?"_

_Aizen did not think for an instant. "No."_

_The Spirit King nodded. "You assume that Naruto is meaningless. You assume that thousands of years have passed since your death. Dimensions have different time scales. Only three years have passed, but there is more you should know. Naruto would have saved the world, or doomed it. The chance of the worlds continued existence and prolonged happiness rested entirely on your shoulders. Who you were is not meaningless."_

_Aizen nodded. "Then…Send me back."_

_The Spirit King grinned, and suddenly seemed a lot kinder and less sombre._

_"Excellent," He declared, clapping Aizen's shoulder and nodding. "Now, Aizen, before you return what about your body? Will you return to Hinata and the Elemental Nations as Naruto, or as Aizen?"_

_Aizen looked into the mirror, which was once again showing the Elemental Nations. Naruto Uzumaki or Aizen Sousuke?_

_"As Aizen. I am no longer a Shinobi, I am an Espada."_

_The Spirit King grinned and turned him about, facing the mirror. The view faded out, revealing the Land of Waves, the Great Naruto Bridge in the forefront. He watched his body slowly return to normal, and readied himself to be returned to his former home._

_Naruto Uzumaki was long gone…..but in his place came a more dangerous person, a reaper of lost souls. A man that had given up everything for the power to change the world, to eliminate suffering. _

_Aizen Sousuke had returned to the realm of the living, because it was time for some people to pay back their debts. And their life was on the tab._


End file.
